PEORIA — A courthouse employee who is the mother of two men connected to a murder has been arrested for allegedly obstructing justice in relation to her sons' cases.

Kimberly A. McNeil, 43, of 1324 N. Underhill St. was booked into the Peoria County Jail on the Class 4 felony charge Wednesday afternoon. She has not yet been formally charged, and could make an initial appearance before a judge as soon as Thursday.

McNeil, who is the mother of Marquis and Michael Costic, works in the Peoria County Circuit Clerk's Office, where she was arrested Wednesday.

Few details about the nature of the allegations against her were available later Wednesday night as the investigation into her actions continued.

"It unfolded rather quickly," said Capt. Mike Eddlemon. "(The arrest) is not in direct relation to participation in the murder itself."

Marquis Costic, 23, was convicted of the murder of 17-year-old TreyShawn Blakely last week. He faces 26 to 90 years in prison and is scheduled for a sentencing hearing Feb 27.

He was arrested two days after the April 7 incident in which Blakely and another teenager were shot while crowded around a fight between rival gang members near the intersection of Butler and Warren streets. The second victim survived.

Michael Costic, 24, was apprehended and charged with murder in October. He is being held in custody pending trial.

The brothers are alleged to have used an assault rifle to fire into a crowd that had gathered to watch the fight, though conflicting accounts arose in Marquis Costic's trial as to who actually pulled the trigger.

Matt Buedel can be reached at 686-3154 or mbuedel@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @JournoBuedel.